The Social Security Administration’s Determinations of Supplemental Security Income Recipients’ Trusts

Submitting OIG:

Report Description:

Objective: To determine whether the Social Security Administration’s eligibility and payment determinations for Supplemental Security Income recipients who owned trusts were accurate.

Date Issued:

Friday, September 22, 2023

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

Social Security Administration

Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:

A-02-21-51026

Location(s):

Agency-Wide

Type of Report:

Audit

Questioned Costs:

$213,252

Funds for Better Use:

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

View Document:

Attachment	Size
02-21-51026.pdf	1.58 MB

Related Open Recommendations

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
1	Open	No
Review and take appropriate action on the seven improper payment cases highlighted in this report.
2	Open	Yes
Improve controls to ensure Field Office (FO) employees add documentation to support their trust determinations and the required pertinent trust documents within SSA’s systems.
3	Open	No
Establish system controls to ensure FO employees submit their trust determinations in the Supplemental Security Income Trust Monitoring System for review and resolve any disagreements raised by the reviews before completing their final trust determinations in SSA’s systems.
4	Open	No
Determine whether employees with the legal training and abilities needed to evaluate the impact trusts outlined in complex legal documents have on recipients’ SSI eligibility and payment amounts would make more accurate trust-related determinations. If they would make more accurate determinations, have those employees make them.
5	Open	No
Establish metrics and controls to ensure for the timely review of FO employees’ trust determinations.

Recommendation Number

Recommendation Status

Significant Recommendation

Additional Details

Open

Review and take appropriate action on the seven improper payment cases highlighted in this report.

Open

Yes

Improve controls to ensure Field Office (FO) employees add documentation to support their trust determinations and the required pertinent trust documents within SSA’s systems.

Open

Establish system controls to ensure FO employees submit their trust determinations in the Supplemental Security Income Trust Monitoring System for review and resolve any disagreements raised by the reviews before completing their final trust determinations in SSA’s systems.

Open